Is your CEO speaking at "Most Valued Podiums"?

Burson-Marsteller study reveals the most influential speaking venues for executives

Prepping your top executives for a round of speaking engagements? Coach them on interacting with panels, or with fellow execs, since single-speaker podiums are becoming less popular. The best venues also want your CEO to speak candidly and conversationally, and sound less like someone who’s been subpoenaed to give Senate testimony.

Carol Ballock, managing director of Burson-Marsteller and director of the firm’s executive positioning program, closely watches the changing trends in the executive speaking world; she oversaw B-M’s just-released second annual study (pdf) on “Most Valued Podiums.”

As part of the study, Ballock and her colleagues asked communicators to name the most influential venues on their speaking “wish list” for their execs (comments are from survey participants):

As you can see from respondents’ comments about these top podiums, Ballock explains, many are appealing because of the crowd they draw. “These organizations have the convening power, and everyone wants to talk to an influential audience,” says Ballock.